o 2 4 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
These are not the vain eulogiums or empty flattery of a son, anxious to consecrate 
the memory of his father; on the contrary, he feels himself restrained, by the modesty 
that becomes him, from rendering all the justice that is due to his virtues and emi¬ 
nent qualities, and which all who knew him were ever anxious to applaud and 
testify. 
Having passed the latter years of his life in these useful, virtuous, and respectable 
occupations, he resigned it, in religious confidence, to the Supreme Being, in the 
month of June, 1784, and in the seventy-fourth year of his age. 
Abstract of Events that have happened in the Isle of France , up to the 
Tear 1800. 
The succour which Admiral Suffrein had constantly received from the Isles of 
France and Bourbon, in repairing and victualling the ships of his squadron during 
the whole course of the American war, had fixed the attention of the French govern¬ 
ment; and on the peace of 1783, they were seriously occupied about these islands. 
The languid state in which they had remained during the time they had been under 
the dominion and protection of the French East India Company, served as a lesson 
for the Ministers of France: they availed themselves of it in order to preserve them 
from falling into the same state, when, in 1784, they established a new East India 
Company. 
These islands therefore enjoyed the advantage of receiving into their ports all the 
merchant ships of France, which were not allowed to proceed farther, on account of 
the rights of the Company, whilst they were allowed the privilege of trading to all 
parts of India, China alone excepted. The Company were also engaged to furnish 
directly and annually to these islands the merchandize of ( Europe necessary for their 
consumption. 
By this order of things the Isle of France became the centre of that commerce 
which several French merchants carried on in the Indies, by establishing their facto¬ 
ries in it, and the commerce of this colony accordingly became both active and 
of great extent. The population suddenly increased beyond its means of cultivation, 
and the Isle of France became a commercial entrepot rather than an agricultural 
colony. 
But the power which the governor and the Intendant of this colony enjoyed had 
been exercised in such an arbitrary manner, that several of its inhabitants became 
